Flashlight



0. DOOSE FLASHLIGHT Feb. 15, 1949.

Filed Dec. 15, 1945 INVENTOR 0/71; M BY ZTTORNEYS Patented Feb. 15, 1949 FLASHLIGHT Otto"!)cose, Ciifton';'N: J assignor to Bright Star BatteryOompany;Clifton;'N." J.,- a corporation I of- 'Nw Jersey 1 Application-Decemberlt'v, 1945; Serial No. 635,278

Thisinventicn relates to flashlights.

Ahiobject of this invention is a flashlight of such. construction that it is'wate'rprooi .1

Ina"flashlightfembodyin this invention, gas

diaphragmito' engage the diaphragm With the movable contact and advance into engagement withthe stationary contact." With'this arrange mentfl moisture 1 is effectively excluded from the.

interior ofith'e 'fiashlighti Other objects," novelfeatures' advantages of "this" invention will "become apparent from the following specification"and"accompanying draw in'gs; wherein:

Fig? 1' is anelevation'of flashlight embody ing the invention;

Figj'2 is asection' on the'line i'of Fig. l;

Fig? 3 "is an' enlarged fragmentary ,view similar provides a shoulder on which rests the flange The lens; gasket and reflector are held-in assembled" relation" by" pressure applied to thelens Why the lensfrin'glzi Aga'sket'lgis .in' terposed betweenfthe le'ns'ring'a'nd headI I.

Ifi'th' end of the tube IB opposite the flared head II is molded a. threaded. ferrule 20. A metal sleeve ZIthieaded'atoneend is molded into a hollow base cap-22 of 'Lumarith'with the threaded portion projecting beyond the cap, .this threaded portion. beingscreWedinto the threaded portionofth'e ferruleill. A""gasket 23 is interposed between the cap ZI'and tube it:

Iii th'efiembodiment.ofFigs. llto 3 inclusive, the tube 'I fig provided with. an aperturee24' apt proximately midway .its ends. A conductive strip 2'5 is attached to the innerisurface of :the 1' tube I and communicates in aaportion extending into the aperturefl toform a stationary contact 25a. A second conductive strip 26 is fixed to the interior of the tube andextends from the ferrule IB' to the -aperture -Z'Fand 'terminates'in a. flexible portion also constituting a movable iii contact-21: The end of the movable contact=21 overlies and is biasedawayirom thestationary contact25. A flexible diaphragm 28 is hermeticaliysealed tothe oute;- surface of tube I0 and closes the apertureifii A contact box 29'fits over the diaphragm 2ii an'd' is attached to the 'tube iii by anysuitable means.

In-the contact boxZS'is arranged astatione ary stripiilfof'fiexible metal in over1ying rela-- 1* tion' to the diaphragm 28 and having a struck= outportion constituting a tongue 3i" adapted-for flexion': The free end 3Ia ofthe-tonguei3I is ofis'et from the strip 36 towardthe diapl iragm iaandthe tongue is formed with anobliqu'e sur-' face 32' adjacent said ofisetend; exterior of the box 29 has extensions .33a passing through slots in the box to slidablylsupport metal strip -34 for reciprocation within the box. Gne end t icz'iofithe strip 's i is offset downt/"ardly'in position to engageithe oblique portion 32 'of the tongue'3 I With the button 33 "and: member 34 in the siti'on' shown? in' Fig. 3;the end; 34a overlies the end-Sid of the tongue at and "movementof-"the member 34 tosthe left engagesthe end 34a with the oblique:surface 32=to movethe free end13Ia of the tongue 3I downwardly; thereby dovmwardy flexing 1 the diaphragm '28 and moving the contact zi into' engagement with. the contact '25; such engagement being maintained as long as the 'member': 34 ismaintainedin" its left-hand positiondue to the fact that the end 34aof the member "34- has ridden 'up the full length" of the obliquesuriace 32 into engagement with the flatportion of'the' member 3% 'beyondthe' oblique portion; Upon return of the member 3 1 tothe positionshownr in Fig. 3, the tongue Si is re-- leased and the 'contactwz'l -returned to the position shown in-xFig. 3.- The member 34 is provided-withan extension 35 underlying= a push button 36 =mounted in the contact box'fi. A tongue 3T struckout 'from-the contact box 29 underliesithexireeiend of the extension 35-when the-member iitis in the position shown inFig 3, thereby flocking. the member :34 against fiexion. However, upon? siight niovernent of the member 33 lto :theflleft froinxtheinosition shown in Fig. 3, the extension 35Iis disengaged "frcm the tongue .i'l' andxthezmem-ber Stma'ybe flexed byinward movement of the button 3S toengage-the offset end of. .themember 34- with: the free end" 3 Iarof thetongue 3I. toflex the diaphragm 28 down- Wardlyt and rengagelthe'movable contact 21 with the stationary contact'25."

In the modification of Fig. 4, a closed bottom recess' lfi is formed'in 'the'outer surface-of the tube H] vvitl'i:three-holes-4l "leading through the bottomiof: the-recess into=the=interior of the tube I02 A strip -flZ Of BakeIite or other similar material is arranged at the bottom of the recess dfl A button 33' and has holes in alinement with the holes 4!. A metal rivet 43 passes through one set of holes in the recess bottom and Bakelite strip and holds the conductive strip 24a in place. A strip of resilient metal 44 overlies the Bakelite strip 42 V and has holes alined with the two remaining sets of holes through the strip 42 and the bottom of the recess. Metal rivets 45 extend through the alined holes into the interior of the tube and hold the conductive strip 26a in place. The metal strip 44 has an offset portion 46 overlying the rivet 43, The strip 44 and the rivet 43 constitute a movable and a fixed contact respectively. A flexible moisture-proof diaphragm 28a overlies the metal strip 44 and rests on a ledge 4? formed r in the wall of the recess 40, the diaphragm being hermetically sealed to the ledge.

A contact box 48 overlies the diaphragm and is held in place by screws 49 threaded into eyelets 50 set into the wall of the recess. contact box is a stationary strip of resilient metal having a portion cut-out to form a tongue 52 having a bowed portion 53. The free end 52a of the tongue 52 overlies the diaphragm 23a directly above the offset portion 46 of the metal strip 44. A button 54 exterior of the box 43 has extensions 54a passing through slots in the ports to slidably support a metal strip 55 for reciprocation within the box. The slide 55 has an offset portion 56 which in one position of the slide 55 is adapted to engage the bowed portion 53 of the tongue 52.

With the slide 55 in the position shown in Fig. 4, the offset 56 is out of engagement with the bowed portion 53 and the offset portion 46 of the contact 44 is out of engagement with the contact 43. However, upon movement of the slide 55 to the left, the oiiset 58 engages the bowed portion 53 to depress thefree end 5211 of the member 52 against the diaphragm 28a to flex it into engagement with the offset portion 46 of the strip 44 to engage said portion 46 with the rivet 43,

The slide 55 is supported by the button 54 in such manner that its right end is capable of flexion; However, with the slide 55 in the position shown in Fig. 4, the right end of the slide engages a tongue 5? struck out from the contact box 48 and is held against flexion. Slight movement of the slide 55 to the left disengages its right end from the tongue 57 whereupon the slide may be flexed by depression of the button 58 mounted in the contact box, thereby engaging the offset 56 with the end 52a of the tongue 52 to depress it suffciently to cause engagement of the oiiset portion 46 of the metal strip 44 with the rivet 43.

In each embodiment, location of the button 33 or 54 in its extreme left position closes the flashlight circuit and maintains it closed, While location of the button in its extreme right-hand position prevents operation of the flashlight by preventing flexion either of the tongue 3! or the member 55. In an intermediate position, the circuit in each embodiment may be closed by depressing either the button 33 or the button 54.

The provision of the hermetically sealed diaphragm 28 or a, together with the gaskets H5, H5 and il renders the flashlight casing Waterproof. The contents of the flashlight, therefore, are protected against deterioration from the effects of moisture.

It is of course understood that, various modifications may be made in the flashlight structure herein described, without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Within the I claim:

A flashlight comprising a tube of insulating material having an outwardly facing recess, a pair of conductors in said tube and underlying said recess, said conductors being spaced apart and electrically insulated from each other, a metallic rivet-like member extending through said casing in the recess and being secured to one of said two conductors, said rivet-like member constituting a stationary electrical contact, a metallic leaf spring positioned in said recess, metallic means extending through said casing and securing said leaf spring electrically to the second of said two conductors in said casing,

. said leaf spring having an oiiset portion acting as a movable electrical contact overlying the metallic rivet-like member and normally spaced apart therefrom, a flexible moisture proof diaphragm fitted withinsaid recess, said recess having a ledge on which said diaphragm rests and to which said diaphragm is hermetically sealed, a stationary strip of resilient material having an outwardly bowed tongue, one end of said tongue being free, said stationary strip overlying th diaphragm directly above said offset portion of said leaf spring, a contact box overlying said stationary strip, means for securing said contact box and said stationary strip fixedly to said tube and over said recess, a slidable flexible strip within said contact box, said flexible strip having an offset portion, button means externally carried on said contact box for slidably supporting said slidable strip internally of said box with one end of said slidable strip free for flexion, said button means also being operable to slide said slidable strip, locking tongue means on said contact box with which said one end of said slidable strip is engageable in one of its slidable positions to then preclude fl'exion of said slidable strip, a second button means extending outwardly of said contact box and overlying the offset portion of said slidable strip, said lastnamed offset portion being engageable with said outwardly bowed tongue of said stationary strip in a second of the slidable positions of said slidable strip to thereby flex said diaphragm and maintain said oifset portion of said leaf spring in contact with said metallic rivet-like member, and said ofiset portion of said slidable strip being engageable with said outwardly bowed tongue of said stationary strip in a position intermediate the said two slidable positions of said slidable strip only upon manual depression of said secondnamed button means to thereby only then flex said diaphragm and then maintain said offset portion of said leaf spring in contact with said metallic rivet-like member.

OTTO DOOSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,756,733 Downs Apr. 29, 1930 2,001,363 Joers May 14, 1935 2,298,042 Desimone Oct. 6, 1942 2,309,402 Korngold Jan. 26, 1943 2,408,393 Gits et al Oct. 1, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 200,954 Great Britain July 26, 1923 

